There are a great many things that remain wrong about the 33rd National Games at Guwahati, and the ULFA insurgency seems to be just one of them. The other big problem now is its timing. Several top athletes of the country have decided to skip the Games, because it falls at a time when the athletes aren’t prepared and do not want to bring about one more unnecessary ‘peak’ in their performance.Hence the Games will be devoid of that bit of glamour and charisma that stars generally carry. With security, infrastructure and assurance from the government that everything will be taken care of, the Games may still be held as per schedule. But this edition may be more “for school and college-going athletes and not for the senior pros” as long jumper Anju Bobby George feels.“The timing is wrong. This is the off season. It should have been held before December or after May,” said Anju, talking to The Indian Express over telephone.“Especially with such a busy schedule last year and lot of important international assignments coming up, the body needs time for rest and recuperation. After the Doha Games in December, I took a month’s rest and have just started light practice. Under the circumstances competing is just out of question,” added Anju.Heptathlete Soma Biswas echoed whatever Anju said, and added: “If we happen to participate in the National Games, our complete schedule of preparation for international meets in the coming season will go for a toss.”The uncertainty that surrounded the event too had its impact on the athletes. “Firstly, it was not sure whether the Games will be held at all. So it was difficult to plan out things,” Soma remarked.All this was enough to keep the big guns away and both Anju and Soma further added what may be the other reasons keeping them away. They both said that not many top athletes can participate in the Games as no one can afford to commit the mistake of starting the season so early without enough rest to recuperate. That might lead to career-threatening injuries too, they said.However, at the end of the tunnel there is some light after all. Samresh Jung has just three words to say about the Games: “I am going.” Even archery stars like Tarundeep Rai, Jayant Talukdar and Dola Banerjee are just waiting for the state selection trials to be completed on February 5. Otherwise they don’t see any reason for not going.“And it is not such a panicky situation in Assam,” said Rajeev Mishra chief trainer of the Tata Archey Academy at Jamshedpur where the trio are presently undergoing training.Rifle shooter Suma Shirur isn’t going. She too has decided to opt out of the Games to concentrate on training for the forthcoming World Cup at USA in the first week of April apart from taking some rest after focusing too much on the European circuit last year. She tried to give the positive aspect of not going to the Games.“Representing the state is a matter of pride for me, but we are already playing for India so let the youngsters take this opportunity to do well and get noticed. And Maharashtra have so many good rifle shooters that they are bound to do well,” she said.But no one seemed to be too much bothered about the situation back at Guwahati. Suma put everything in perspective when she said: “Even before the Manipur National Games people used to tell all kinds of stories on how unsafe it was to travel to Manipur, but everything went off peacefully. I am sure everything will be okay this time also.”Gagan Narang for one is concerned about the ground realities there but is contemplating about going to Guwahati. Why? He doesn’t want to let his state (Andhra Pradesh) down. “I am thinking whether it will be better if I continue my practice in preparation for the World Cup or I should go. But my state is also counting on me for a medal and I might end up going,” said Narang.With a sad story taking a happy turn, may it end on a happier note. Soma is tying the knot with Sameer Bera, a lecturer in Charuchandra College in south Kolkata, in May. “Or else I might even have thought of making it.” Soma quipped.
